Zedd is one of the most successful producers and DJs in the EDM industry. He has achieved great success in his career as he has been able to win a Grammy, accolades from industry peers, critical recognition, and millions of fans globally. His string of successes reveals the talent and dedication he has to his art and how he continues to work hard to push the boundaries of EDM.
Table of Contents:
1. Early Life and Career Journey
2. Success in EDM
3. Awards and Recognition
4. Contribution to EDM
5. Zedd Quotes
- Early Life and Career Journey
Zedd was born Anton Zaslavski in Kaiserslautern, Germany in 1989. His parents were Russian immigrants, and the family moved to the United States when Zedd was four. Zedd was exposed to music at a young age, taking up the piano when he was four. He later began to play other instruments and embraced a range of genres while growing up, although EDM began to be a clear favorite. Zedd found himself playing in a funeral band at 13, and he continued to be part of a rock band in his teenage years. His career in music was given a major boost when he released his hit track “Clarity” in 2012, showcasing his skills as an electronic producer and DJ. His career subsequently became one of the most successful in EDM.
- Success in EDM
Zedd’s journey to success in the industry saw him collaborate with a number of renowned international artists, with the likes of Lady Gaga, Lil Uzi Vert, and Selena Gomez being some of his notable collaborations. Zedd also had some of his songs featured on prominent TV shows such as True Blood and Gossip Girl, again exposing him to a wider global audience. It is however his first EP titled “Clarity” that is most recognized for propelling Zedd to the top of the EDM hierarchy. The track sold over 5 million copies, won multiple awards, and topped international music charts.
- Awards and Recognition
Aside from the aforementioned accomplishments, Zedd has achieved other great successes in his career. For example, his album titled “Spectrum” was nominated for a Grammy award in 2013, thus becoming the first EDM album ever to be nominated for such recognition. Additionally, his single “Stay” won the EMA Award as well as the “New Music Friday” Award in 2016. His success has also been recognized through his various collaborations with prominent artists such as Jay-Z, Miley Cyrus, and Alessia Cara.
- Contribution to EDM
Zedd has had a tremendous influence on EDM culture, with his music being primarily EDM-oriented. He is also credited for blurring generational barriers by significantly increasing the number of millennials that have embraced the culture in the past ten years. His influence can also be seen in his various remixes exposing various underground EDM producers to a wider global audience. The combination of his own music productions, remixes, and collaborations with artists of different genres has significantly contributed to strengthening EDM as a culture.
Zedd Quotes
“I’m not emaciated; I’m wiry. Most women find lean men appealing.” — Zedd
“A man who trusts in luck better have plenty of it.” — Zedd
“There can be powerful magic in acts of desperation.” — Zedd
“One agonizing journey down the gauntlet of youth is enough for any man.” — Zedd
“The problem with my eyes is that they have been famished, but now they are feasting.” — Zedd
“I have my wizards rock along. Could I interest you? Naked?” — Zedd
“When you catch other people with a sound like yours, that’s when you know you did something.” — Zedd
“I don’t want to put 12 singles on an album. I want to make a story, a little movie.” — Zedd
“What I don’t like to hear in music is something has not been thought through: that a sound is just there randomly. I want to make sure that every single little noise that’s in my song is there because it’s supposed to be there.” — Zedd
“If you’re convinced as an artist of what you’re doing, the only move is to, no matter what people say or what management says or your best friends say or people on Facebook, do what you do, and people will find their way to it.” — Zedd
“There is magic in patience, you know.” — Zedd
“I never feel like I need to make a song that sells 5 million copies; that’s not the point of why I make music. It’s great if that happens, like it did with ‘Clarity,’ but my goal is to always make a better track than the last one.” — Zedd
“I really like working with unique and unknown artists, as they usually bring something fresh to a song.” — Zedd
“Being yourself is what will make you survive through anything. If you make music to please someone, it’s the first step in the wrong direction. Always do what you believe in, no matter what people say. Only way to go!” — Zedd
“I fear no secret of a person I trust, and he has no need to fear mine. It is part of being friends.” — Zedd
“The time for desperation is upon us. Let’s play.” — Zedd
“As we Wizards go, I’m pretty harmless.” — Zedd
“Music is its own language – if you don’t speak it, it’s hard to say what you’re trying to do.” — Zedd
“Fate does not always seek our consent.” — Zedd
“I’ve been making music for a long time since I was very young, but at the same time, I’m still exploring what works for me. I feel like I’m just starting out.” — Zedd
“I love silence. But I usually only listen to that when I’m sleeping.” — Zedd
“I’m my own artist, and I see artists as movies. No one should try to change them for anything. If you don’t like it, you just don’t follow it. And if you don’t like a movie you don’t watch it. Watch another movie.” — Zedd
“People are stupid; given proper motivation, almost anyone will believe almost anything. because people are stupid, they will believe a lie because they want to believe it’s true, or because they are afraid it might be true.” — Zedd
“I would never say I will stay in electronic music for the rest of my life. I will always do whatever I feel like at that moment.” — Zedd
“For the longest time, I wanted to become a pianist. That was kinda my thing.” — Zedd
“I usually write my music on a piano, and I really enjoy performing that way, because that actually shows how the music was in my mind before it actually became an electronic song.” — Zedd
“There is no such thing as pure good or pure evil, least of all in people.” — Zedd
“I used to be a drummer in a band, and I really loved playing the drums, so I look forward to the right opportunity to do that at some point. Maybe even on TV. Every single live performance I’m doing on TV, I want it to be different and unique.” — Zedd
“A DJ can’t just play one song. It’s about playing a set, or how you connect songs in those two hours, and where you place them.” — Zedd
“What I look for in a voice is for it to be unique. I don’t really care if a singer sings well. Really, it’s about emotion, or being able to sing the lyrics and actually mean it. A lot of singers sing good notes but forget about what words they use.” — Zedd
“A lot of EDM is not bad at all when it’s simple, but a lot of it is not really musical. That’s just what I really like to do: taking what I had at the beginning, which is classical and jazz influences, and putting it into electro.” — Zedd
“I can’t just sit down and make a song in a day. It’s only possible if you focus on the music and not the sound.” — Zedd
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